Propagating elderberry is so easy I wondered if I could even write a whole article about it! The common elderberry is a deciduous shrub with bright white flowers and small, dark berries. The elderberry is classified as a large, deciduous shrub maturing at 6 to 10 feet tall. For those who desire this incredible shrub, this is a simple way to start growing your own elder (Sambucus canadensis). You need to start with the fact that the most successful way of reproduction of any currant — layering. However, the real value of learning to propagate it is that most of the three dozen cultivars I know of are in short supply and hard to find.
See How to Take Softwood Cuttings for step-by-step instructions.

When to Take Plant Cuttings.

When should elderberry be pruned? It puts on some of the most stunning growth in a good year. The shrubs can be pruned in the winter to maintain a comfortable harvest size and for rejuvenation. Depending on variety and conditions, they can grow from 10’ to 20’ tall, but can be pruned and kept much smaller. Photo by Proven Winners. Propagation from cuttings is a basic method used to start woody shrubs and some herbaceous perennials. Late summer into early fall is a great time to propagate boxwoods by semi-hardwood cuttings. How to Grow Elderberries.

Experienced gardeners-summer residents know that it is quite easy to propagate black currants.

Sambucus (nigra and canadensis) Elderberry is a very exciting plant for us. How to Grow Elderberry from Seed. You can also take softwood, semi-ripe, and hardwood cuttings of elderberry (see my Plant Propagation Guide for More info on Cuttings) very easily.

How to Grow Elderberry Plants This topic is broken into a series of articles that focus on the key components of planting and growing elderberry plants.

Foragers and gardeners can propagate elderberry shrubs simply by taking a cutting and rooting it. The recommended pruning time for an elderberry bush is during the late autumn/fall or … Elderberry seeds need the coldness of winter, or stratification, before they will germinate. Elton John may sing about “feeling fine on elderberry wine,” but the shrub that bears that intoxicating fruit offers many other attributes that gardeners can feel good about. I transplanted one elderberry just recently and … We've seen 8-10 feet of growth in a season, after pruning the plants back thoroughl

In its natural habitat, the elderberry is commonly found on fertile, moist soils with a pH between 6 and 8. the newest, look almost like cut-leaf Japanese maples and can be used as substitutes in colder climates.

The ability to root it is very high, so that 90% of properly prepared rooted cuttings.
The end result is that elderberries are now a standard ornamental shrub for the landscape with some exotic colour and leaf forms.

Known by many different names, including black elderberry, this shrub makes a lovely addition to a garden or landscape with its leaves, sprays of flowers, and fruits. Serviceberry is easy to propagate, so you'll save money. They do best in gardening zones 3-8.

These young cuttings are eager to root but also at high-risk for drying out without proper care. Learn how to grow elderberries.